Study: Is Twitter’s Vine Shriveling?

Published Jul 17, 2013 at 1:55 PM

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I’m a big big fan of Vine, Twitter’s video app that creates continuous six-second loops, but it seems that my enthusiasm for it and its promise alone may either be misguided or not enough to turn it around. Because it gives such instant and voyeuristic peeks into user lives, I felt it was poised to overtake YouTube and the perpetual quest to strike with a viral video. It forces people to be concise, and therefore creative. I saw the potential it had for big names associated with companies to help give a bigger splash of personality.

But according to a study, ever since Instagram added video recording June 20, Vine sharing has been plummeting. There are a number of sources confirming this, and the number goes as high as a 40 percent drop.

In summary, Vine “beating” Instagram two weeks ago on Twitter seems to be the result of heavy influencer activity. While it was hot with influencers, the full data shows that Instagram has never had a serious dip. In contrast, the full data does suggest that maybe Instagram Video has at least grabbed some of the “video & tweet” activity that Vine had.

So, let me try to break this down for those less familiar with what this all means as I best understand it.

If you are an influencer, or someone with a considerable following, it makes sense for you to be on Vine.

If you are aspiring to achieve that status, it may not make sense for you to be on it.

It’s a strange Catch-22. But in short: Vine may not be a bad place as a back-burner sort of thing.

If that’s the case, and if that does appeal to you, here’s a good post on how to get up and running as a brand on Vine from Social Media Examiner and another on brands to watch on the platform.